LG and PRADA reveal newest collaborative phone

Fashionistas can have their phone and use it too. The third phone to come out of the partnership between PRADA and LG 3.0 was unveiled this week in London. The slim and stylish handset runs Android's Gingerbread OS.

A distinct PRADA influence is evident on the phone's design. The handset exhibits clean and sharp lines with the design house's signature Saffiano pattern, typically etched into its leather goods, adorning the back of the phone. The Saffiano detail doesn't add heft, as the phone doesn't have any. It measures a mere 8.5 mm thick. A minimal number of hardkeys also help keep the design sleek. An LG feature, Floating Mass Technology, is said to optically enhance the thinness of the phone.

If PRADA influences the design, LG has a hand in the function. The handset features a 4.3-inch screen with an 800 nit NOVA High Brightness Display screen. An 8GB capacity has plenty of room for apps and photos, which are taken with an 8MP camera. The phone is built with 1.0GHz Dual-Core/Dual-Channel architecture, which lends high-speed performance and dual-band Wi-Fi for high-speed internet surfing and connectivity for apps.

The phone runs Android's Gingerbread OS. It is planned that the handset will update to Ice Cream Sandwich in the future. Google's Android only just released the first phone with Ice Cream Sandwich, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, which just reached the U.S. this week after launching in Europe and Canada.

Menus and the user interface are also influenced by PRADA with black, grey and white menu and icons.

The relationship between PRADA and LG is a few years old. This is the third handset to be released from the partnership. A phone and matching Bluetooth watch were released in 2009. The first phone from the fashion and technology duo came out in late 2006.

PRADA is also expected to lend its design hand in a line of accessories for the phone. A PRADA-branded cradle and Bluetooth headset start the line. It is expected there will be a range of PRADA pouches and cases to carry and protect the phone.

We believe the phone will be out in January. Expect to see the new phone from PRADA and LG 3.0 in Asia and then Europe. No details on price have been announced yet.